Underpads or linen protectors are commonly used to cover an area of bed linen beneath the pelvic region of bedridden incontinent persons and hospital patients. These underpads typically have a liquid absorbent batting which absorbs human waste liquids, namely urine, and a liquid resistent backing to prevent absorbed liquids from soiling the linen or mattress. A problem long associated with these underpads is that they tend to move and slide out of proper position, thereby exposing the underlying bed linen as the persons lying on them move about. Another problem long associated with their use is that they tend to wrinkle and bunch up beneath the patients causing patient discomfort and contributing to the development of decubitus pressure lesions, commonly referred to as bed sores. Because of these problems several approaches have been taken to design and develop underpads that remain securely in place in a wrinkle free manner.
One such approach has been to extend the liquid resistent backing area coverage so that it drapes over the sides of the mattress and can be tucked between the mattress and the underlying box springs and thereby held tautly in place. In a disposable version of this type of underpad the batting is glued to the backing. This however is not cost efficient since the backing is made much larger than necessary to prevent linen soiling all of which is discarded after use. In a reusable version a frame made of flexible plastic is mounted to the backing to which the batting is removably mounted. The frame must be mounted so as not to contact and thereby cause patient discomfort. To this end the frame is mounted along the portion of the backing that is closely adjacent to the mattress side edges with the batting secured along its two opposite side edges. A problem with this approach is that since the mid-portion of the batting is not secured to the backing the batting may still become wrinkled. Also, patent movements tend to cause the batting to become dismounted from the frame. Another problem associated with both the disposable and reusable versions is that it is fairly easy for the tucked portion of the backing to work loose and thereby fail to provide the support necessary for maintaining the underpad tautly in position.
Another approach taken has been to mount strips of adhesive on the bottom of the underpad backing sheet in contact with the bed linen in order to secure the underpad directly to the linen. However, after use residual adhesive tends to remain on the linen, even when washed, thus creating a messy, unsanitary and unsightly condition.
It thus is seen that a need remains for an underpad that remains well in place and which resists wrinkling while positioned beneath a person as that person moves about while reclined upon the underpad. Accordingly, it is to the provision of such an underpad that the present invention is primarily directed.